Law Job Star
The Peculiar Side of Human Nature - Andrew Shirvell’s One Man Army
By Donna McGill
Ask anyone the reasoning behind Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell’s campaign against a University of Michigan
student body president and odds are, you’ll not get a definitive answer. This is because Andrew Shirvell has yet to provide one. He has
not been able to sufficiently explain why he has chosen to stalk a perfect stranger or why he’s jeopardized his career to do so. Andrew
Shirvell is our focus for this week’s Law Star Profile.
The controversy brewing in Michigan concern towards Armstrong. He’s not eloquent. This was
has gained national media attention, proven in a useless interview with Anderson Cooper recently.
partly because of who is involved and Despite Cooper’s best interviewing tactics, there was not
partly because of the lack of reasoning a single straight answer provided by Shirvell. Many are
behind the motives of Andrew Shirvell. beginning to question what his credentials are that allowed the
The assistant attorney general, now state’s attorney general to hire him in the first place.
on an administrative leave of absence,
has this peculiar obsession towards As for that attorney general, Mike Cox, he’s catching his
Chris Armstrong, current president own share of backlash from this brouhaha. He consistently
of the student body at the University defended Shirvell’s First Amendment rights and said that while
of Michigan. While Shirvell insists it’s nothing personal, it’s he didn’t agree with what he was doing, his hands were tied
become quite evident that it most certainly is personal. since Shirvell appeared to shelve his efforts until after work
Shirvell insists his biggest complaint is Armstrong’s move to hours each day. Still, many people wondered why he didn’t
provide gender neutral housing on the university campus. incorporate the clause that Shirvell clearly violated that read,
Shirvell has also said Armstrong’s homosexuality goes against in part, that no officer of the state would ‘’engage in behavior
what he believes in. He has devoted an entire blog, Chris unbecoming to the office of Attorney General’’. That point is
Armstrong Watch, to memorialize every move the 21 year old moot now since Shirvell took a voluntary leave of absence on
college student makes. But don’t waste your time pointing October 1st.
your browser to the blog; it’s an invitation only blog that you
won’t get access to in the short term. On Monday, October 11, 2010, both Shirvell and Armstrong
will face off in court. Armstrong has filed a restraining order
While this controversy is disturbing, Armstrong has taken the against Shirvell and a judge is expected to rule during the
high road and opted to not go public, but instead, he has hired hearing. It’s expected evidence that includes Shirvell’s
legal representation to deal with his unlikely nemesis. blog, complete with cruel accusations, lies and tasteless
comparisons, as well as what many are saying are instances of
So just who is Andrew Shirvell? It’s difficult to find any stalking by Shirvell, will come into play as well. Hopefully, the
information on Shirvell or his life. He graduated from the world will finally understand what is in Shirvell’s mind that has
University of Michigan, of course; it’s his justification for allowed him to target this one student and wreak such havoc
focusing such anger, hatred and misplaced self-righteous that includes the ruining of his own career.
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